Heart of Stone
by lucocat
Summary: Slight follow up to Thinking Time. Ward watches over Skye


**Disclaimer: This is a fan fiction - I do not own Agents of Shield!**

**Slight follow up to Thinking Time**

* * *

Ward stood outside the isolation room where Skye lay, relying on machines to keep her alive. None of the team were allowed into her room incase they carried in any type of infection, which in her current condition would kill her.

Ward had been there when Simmonds had pleaded with the doctors to let her sit by Skye's bedside, to talk to her, to be with her; and had wrapped his arms around her when the doctors walked off after having told her no. Skye's life was hanging by a thread, and there was nothing at this moment any of them could do to help her; the fight was Skye's alone.

Simmond's had long since gone having been dragged to the accommodation block for food and rest by a surprisingly forceful Fitz, leaving Ward with his lone vigil over Skye. He watched her intently for the smallest of movements, signalling that she was still with them. He knew the steady rise and fall of her chest was due to the ventilator she was hooked up to, but it did give him some hope that she could come through this if she just fought that little bit harder.

Only Ward wasn't convinced that this was a fight Skye wanted to win; he had continually played through the scene outside the swimming pool where she broke down on the steps. Whatever demons Skye was fighting were consuming her slowly but surely, he had seen it every day since. Skye had not slept that night nor any night, instead he had found her more and more often down in the lab where a small work area had been carved out for her. She had become more focussed, more driven in her attempts to help Shield with their fight against Centipede, and by extension Ian Quinn. There was something about her new focus that had unsettled him, she was slowly losing herself to a fight Shield was currently waging.

"_How is she doing?"_ Ward had been so focussed on making Skye show some signs of life that he had failed to notice May walk down the corridor and stop beside him.

"_No change, the doctors were here 15 minutes ago and carried out the same tests they did 45 minutes before that, and every hour since she was brought to her room."_ Ward looked down at May, praying she didn't choose now to start a conversation he didn't want to have with her whilst Skye was within eye and earshot. For 7 hours he had been standing outside Skye's room refusing to accept how tired he was and he didn't want to have a rational conversation. Even with the physical and emotional drama of the day catching up with him, he refused to accept his body's need for rest

May took in the scene before her looking at Skye rather than Ward, whilst listening to the edge of frustration she heard creeping into his voice. She knew what they had between them was over and she couldn't pretend to be upset, logically she knew it was the right thing for both of them. She had gone into their 'arrangement' for stress relief, to take the edge off after otherwise adrenaline causing situations; Ward she knew wanted something to help him forget his past. They weren't gentle with each other, and neither cared if they ended up with a few extra bumps and bruises; it was a small price to pay to outrun their individual demons.

Deciding on taking a blunt approach, May turned to face Ward _"You're in love with her"_. Seeing him spin round and face her, she continued _"I know it because I have been there, not with you, but with someone else a long time ago."_

"_I...no, never..."_ Ward was stunned by the direction the conversation was taking.

Not even acknowledging his protestations, she continued _"That stone for a heart you have started beating the moment you met her and that scared you. Don't become me - stop running and admit to yourself, if not to her, what you are feeling, deal with it and move forward. I never took my chance, I was cold, selfish and caught up with the job and I missed out on what could have been – don't spend a lifetime in regret."_

May turned briefly and nodded to a passing doctor before looking at Ward again, _"Thank you for helping me forget, if even for a short time but now is the time you need to decide if you are going to man up and be there for Skye. Even when she gets through this, there is more coming her direction and she knows it; she is going to push you away and try and isolate herself more than she already has, even run if she gets the chance. You Ward, you have to be the one person to bring her back when it gets too much, and it _will_ get too much for her. There's a storm coming and Skye is going to be the epicentre – are you willing to anchor her to you or will you take the easy way out?"_

May stepped forward, towards the glass and took a moment to reassure herself that one of the machines beside Skye's bed was still registering a heartbeat, _"Coulson will be here soon, he has tracked down an old friend who may be able to provide mission assistance. Be ready."_ May then stalked off down the corridor to the elevator and out of the building.

Ward stood trying to process everything that had passed between them, May confirmed what he had already suspected – she knew what Skye was dealing with and it was big, potentially life changing. Ward knew he wasn't able to admit to himself or even to Skye what his true feelings for her were, there was too much he still needed to work out. But in the meantime he vowed to keep Skye safe, never again would she be put in the position of having to act alone. He was determined that from here on out, he would be with her every step of the way. Resting his head against the window separating them, _"It's always been you Skye."_


End file.
